Bill Belichick Ranked As NFL’s Best Coach By CBSSports.com

BOSTON (CBS) — Bill Belichick is 61 years old. He hasn’t won a Super Bowl in eight years. His career may be in the fourth quarter, and the clock is ticking. But he is still the best.

At least, that’s according to CBSSports.com’s Pete Prisco, who ranked the NFL’s coaches one through 32, with Belichick sitting atop the list.

Prisco listed the Patriots making the playoffs in 10 of Belichick’s 13 years as coach as well as the team’s .726 winning percentage under Belichick to justify the top ranking.

“It helps that he’s had Tom Brady, but he’s a sensational coach, even if he can sometimes come across as an ogre,” Prisco wrote, noting that “personality doesn’t matter” for the list.

Ranking just behind Belichick is Tom Coughlin, the man who twice bested Belichick in the Super Bowl. Third is John Harbaugh, whose Ravens ended the Patriots’ season last January before going on to win the Super Bowl. Coaches four through seven — Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, Mike McCarthy, Mike Shanahan — are all Super Bowl winners as well.

Around the rest of the AFC East, Rex Ryan ranked 14th, Joe Philbin ranked 22nd and Doug Marrone of the Bills ranked 28th.

Though Belichick is far and away the best coach in the division, he’ll have his work cut out for him this year, with Aaron Hernandez in jail, Alfonzo Dennard in court, Wes Welker in Denver and Rob Gronkowski recovering from surgeries.

“With all the off-field issues facing his team now,” Prisco wrote, “he might have to be at his best in 2013.”